It had been a month and fifteen days since they’d escaped Pharaoh’s wrath. God had led them into the wilderness via the bottom of an ocean. And now, they were at His mercy like never before.

Every day, every step, every meal, depended on Almighty God’s provision. Every piece of what-is-it bread, each piece of meat, came from God’s faithful hand. Just as every ounce of their freedom had come.

What was it like to live day to day, so clearly at the mercy of God’s provision? I wonder what those night-time conversations sounded like throughout the camp.

What if there’s no what-is-it bread tomorrow when we wake up? What will we eat?

What about our little Levi? He doesn’t like the texture. He has a texture thing.

Why can’t we have something else to go with it besides quail?

Remember that awesome pot roast we ate back in Egypt? Oh maaaaan, that was sooooo good! I miss that stuff!

Meeee tooooo….. Why do we have to be out here in this desolate wilderness anyway? Why did Mooosssseeesss have to lead us out here where we don’t get to enjoy any more of that yummy pot roast?!? I liked the food better back when we lived as slaves.

The spiral would go down, down, down until the people grumbled to the point where Moses and Aaron would throw up their hands and point to the One whose actual hand had placed them smack in the middle of this wilderness.

“Your grumbling is not against us but against the LORD” (16:8).

It was all about God’s name. Every faithful provision. Every wafer provided. Every grumble and complaint and song of praise. God alone had brought them here. And God alone would lead them through. Meal by meal. Wafer by wafer. Quail by quail. Word by word.

How often do we complain about a leader or a circumstance, forgetting the One whose Name we actually grumble against?

Church doesn’t feel the same as it used to.

Why are we doing a sermon series on THAT?!?

And we forget the One whose hand has given us the gift of worshiping together with fellow believers. We forsake the purpose that God has faithfully provided our pastors as they lead us, their congregation.

Oh that we might forsake such grumbling spirits and find ourselves grateful for all that God has given!